


Runaway

by LittleBlueFool



Category: Riverdale - Fandom
Genre: Angst and Fluff, Beware, F/M, Riverdale, ahahahdhauwowaou, bughead - Freeform, riverdale fanfiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-15
Updated: 2018-05-15
Packaged: 2019-05-06 03:31:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14633184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleBlueFool/pseuds/LittleBlueFool
Summary: "Jug?"Jughead could hear her tears and he found himself wanting to wipe the hot drops from her cheeks. Kiss her fluttering lids and promise her everything would be alright. But he couldn't. Not now. He was already so close."Juggie, please. Just one word. That's- That's all I need. One word to know you're okay and I'll let you be alone."  She begged him, her voice cracking as a sob wracked her body.But he didn't speak. He didn't give her the satisfaction- didn't give himself the satisfaction. He needed to do this and if he held a conversation with her it would all be over."Pleas-"He pulled the phone away and hung up on her.It was too late now.The Riverdale town sign flew past the window and faded out behind the bus.Jughead has escaped the town with pep and everything along with it.





	1. This is where we begin,

**Author's Note:**

> Yo waddup  
> This is my first Bughead fic so like,,, hang in here with me
> 
> This follows right after Kevin tells Jughead that his father was arrested and Jughead succeeded in running away. It takes place four years later and almost everything is the same.  
> Choni happens a lot later too lol  
> hang on tight

 

>   
> 
> _Just stop your crying_
> 
> _it's a sign of the times_
> 
> _Welcome to the final show_
> 
> _Hope you're wearing your best clothes_
> 
> _You can't bribe the door on your way to the sky_

_You look pretty good down here_

_but you ain't really good_

 

X

 

She had called him more times than he could even count. He knew she was worried and he could imagine her sucking her bottom lip under her teeth, biting the skin away in a nervous gesture. He imagined her digging her perfectly manicured nails into her palms, worry eating away at her. Her bright green eyes dull and sad. She probably felt as alone as he did. But he couldn't go back. They all had lied to him. His best friend and the rich girl searched his father's trailer and his girlfriend had lied to him about it all. He'd never felt more betrayed than in this moment. 

FP was arrested for the murder of Jason Blossom and that was the tipping point for Jughead. He had hoped and prayed to a god he didn't believe in that maybe,  _just maybe,_ his father was innocent. That FP would walk away a free man. But that wasn't what happened. He had hoped too hard. So he called his mom and asked- no, begged her to provide sanctuary. He needed to leave Riverdale and get away from his own personal hell. When she turned him down, he slammed his hands against the glass box, his wails contained in those four walls. Broken and alone. His angry cries ripping out of him with every last shred of hope he had grasped for. He begged for a hole to swallow him up and bury him beneath the earth where he could die peacefully. Everyone he'd cared for and trusted had lied to him, betrayed him, and hurt him. 

When he finally caught his breath, the air he inhaled cold and inviting, biting into his lungs like a winter storm, he opened the glass door slowly and stumbled out onto the pavement. He shambled his way into the bus lobby, asked for the next bus out of town, and the lady at the counter stamped him a new ticket. 

"You best hurry, boy. It's about to leave." She'd pointed to the door and Jughead thanked her with a simple nod.

The beanie-clad boy exited the lobby and he rushed to the bus. With one last look to the decrepit town he grew up in and a long sigh exhaled through flaring nostrils, he ascended the bus stairs and made his way to the back of the bus where he sat up against the window. He listened to the air release from the bus and watched as street signs and trees rushed by and he saw her one last time. He saw her golden ponytail, bouncing against the back of her head as she skipped along beside him. Her smile was bright and her eyes glowed, and although Jughead couldn't hear her, he could feel her. Feel her soft skin beneath his calloused fingers and her silky hair falling over his hands. She smelled like strawberries and sunshine, something he never thought he'd find comforting.

He felt his eyes watering and he buried his face in his hands as he began to cry for the second time that night. Everything was just suddenly too much, too fast. He hit his breaking point. He was giving up and running away. He was tired of everyone letting him down eventually. He wasn't going to stand for it any longer.

And then his phone started ringing and he scrambled to find it among his coat pockets, pulling it out a moment later. He read the name and a hard frown set on his face.

_Betty._

His finger hovered over the decline button through most of the rings, but a moment of need to just hear her voice one last time hit him hard. He decided not to say anything, not to give in. All he needed was a word. 

_"Jug?"_

Jughead could hear her tears and he found himself wanting to wipe the hot drops from her cheeks. Kiss her fluttering lids and promise her everything would be alright. But he couldn't. Not now. He was already so close.

_"Juggie, please. Just one word. That's- That's all I need. One word to know you're okay and I'll let you be alone."_ She begged him, her voice cracking as a sob wracked her body. 

But he didn't speak. He didn't give her the satisfaction- didn't give himself the satisfaction. He needed to do this and if he held a conversation with her it would all be over.

_"Pleas-"_

He pulled the phone away and hung up on her. 

It was too late now.

The Riverdale town sign flew past the window and faded out behind the bus.

Jughead has escaped the town with pep and everything along with it. 

 

 

 

X

 

 

 

_4:34 am._

Another late night. Another cup of coffee. Golden hair loose around her shoulders and bags beneath her eyes. Her computer sat before her, an unwritten draft of a new Register article taunted her. She was supposed to finish this for her mother, who was eating away at her bit by bit. Everything had gone back to normal- well, almost normal -after FP was arrested for murder, but the case was never explored fully. FP was a serpent, so the entire Northside just accepted that the Serpent King was guilty, because the gang is just a bunch of criminals anyways, right? Betty had refused to accept it though. She told Jughead that she believed FP was innocent, but when Kevin delivered the news and Jughead had ran, she lost any hope of clearing FP's name. She carried it with her though, hoping one day she could bring it back and save the King. 

But for now, she buried herself in work and friends, putting up her "perfect girl next door" facade. Faking the fact that loosing Jughead was tearing away at her. The love of her young life had left without letting anyone explain. Left without hearing the whole story, without giving her a chance. She shouldn't let it get to her this badly, but she couldn't help it. Four years later, and she was still dwelling on it.

And then there had been the Black Hood. That was the most emotionally straining year of her life. He had killed people, innocent people and Hurt even more. Tore her away from her friends. Threatened her own life more than once and put her through the worst mental torture of her life. When she found out who it was, that only made everything hurt more. Watching her father disappear in the cop car, his empty eyes watching Betty for as long as he could. Her own father had shot Fred Andrews, killed Midge Klump, shot Moose and strangled Ms. Grundy. She found herself tearing up at just the thought of it. 

She gave up on the article and slammed her computer screen down with a frustrated huff and leaned back against the back of the booth. She picked up the little cup of coffee in front of her and sipped from it quietly, averting her eyes to the window next to her. Snow fell silently outside, covering the ground in a light layer of white powder. 

Betty smiled suddenly, despite herself. She remembered snowball fights with Polly and building snowmen with Archie in her backyard. She remembered snow angels with her dad and hot cocoa with her mom. She remembered walks in the snow with Jughead and Christmas movies with Veronica. She felt lighter, if even for a minute. She felt like she could move past her grief and move on with her life, build herself a home and a family. But then she remembered that the only person she ever wanted to do that with was gone, and she was back to square one.

The bell above the front door rang out quietly and Betty's head whipped around to see who'd arrived, and she had never felt more relieved than when Veronica Lodge stepped through the door. The raven-haired girl, who Betty was proud to call her best friend, strutted over to the table that Betty sat at.

"Well, well. look who's here. A bit early for the worm, dontcha think, Betts?" Veronica asked as she slid into the booth across from Betty.

The blonde set her coffee down and shrugged ever so lightly. "I could be asking you the same thing." Betty retorted and Veronica raised her eyebrows at her friend. Betty sighed and told her the truth. "Couldn't sleep. Figured I'd try to work on this article for the Register. My mom has been nagging me about it for days." Betty exhaled deeply. Veronica narrowed her eyes suspiciously at her best friend, studying her closely. She could see the dark circles beneath her eyes in the dim lights of Pop's and she knew that Betty probably hasn't slept much or relaxed in days.

"I'm here on official Andrews' business, B. Tell you what, Archie and I are having a small get together on Christmas, and I think you need to be there. It might do you some good to loosen up." Veronica explained in a lighthearted tone, her usual slight smirk painted on her face. 

Betty was reluctant to accept. She had a feeling that this was Veronica Lodge's lame attempt at finding Betty a new hookup, one that would add to the string of lovers she'd left behind in the past two years. None of them really interested her all that much. They were either too dull or too much. She never had the feeling that she could trust any of them fully. Maybe she just wasn't letting go. But still, she nodded reluctantly in agreement to her friend's invitation. "Fine. I'll come for a cup of rich people egg nog and then I'm out. Don't try to force me to stay when I'm ready to leave." She pointed at Veronica, who held her hands up in defense. They remained like that for only a moment before both girls burst out in giggles.

"Great! See you then." Veronica nodded and she grabbed her purse before standing. "You go home and get some rest, girl. I don't want you passing out at a famous Veronica Lodge party." She said in a demanding tone and leaned down momentarily to hug Betty as best she could, and Betty returned it half-heartedly. She nodded sincerely to Veronica's demand and when the raven-haired girl left the diner she packed up her computer and got up herself. 

She looked around the diner for a moment, taking it all in and trying to remind herself what to keep going for. Pop's. Veronica. Archie. Polly. Her niece and Nephew. Her job. She smiled, confidence radiating off of her as she marched towards the door leading into the Pop's. Stepping out into the snow, her confidence only dissipated as quickly as it had appeared. A man she never thought she'd see again stood at the bottom of the steps.

Fp Jones stood in the snow in nothing but a flannel, a thin t-shirt, a pair of jeans and boots. He met Betty's eyes with a fond smile and Betty found herself rooted to the spot as the older man approached her slowly. "It's been awhile, Betty. Nice to see you." He said calmly, as if he hadn't been in a state prison for the past four years.

"I-I... how did- how did you get out, Mr. Jones?" She asked and found her senses again, her head whipping around as she searched the area around her and the Pop's parking lot.  _He's not here..._ She frowned to herself but then quickly shook her head. She shouldn't care that he wasn't.

"Serpents got together enough money to bail me out. Only took four years," he scoffed. "Someone found a flashdrive with evidence that I was innocent as well, so that helped. Obviously I had to serve time until the court hearing I had to attend went through, and since no one could get the Blossoms to apologize, I had to serve a longer sentence. Serpents came through though- and, if you're looking for Jug, he hasn't returned. Still travelling around. He sent postcards every now and then." FP pulled Betty off to the side so he could explain and she had stumbled a bit as she tried to regain full control of her bearings. Seeing the Serpent King was like a punch to the gut.

"Who found the drive, though?" She tried to ignore the last sentence and instead tried to piece the mystery together in her head, but she kept coming up with dead-ends.

"Joaquin called a guy of mine and told them where I had hidden Jason Blossom's jacket, but only after this whole thing blew over. The found the drive, paid a Northsider good money to take it to the mayor and well, you know the rest." He told her with a shrug and tensed up as a breeze blew past.

"Oh! You must be freezing. Come sit in my car." She grabbed his arm and pulled him over to her beaten up Cadillac and she fumbled a bit with the key. She grumbled quietly as she pulled her glove off and quickly unlocked the driver's side so she could unlock the other three doors and FP got in after Betty did. She started up the car and turned the heat up so FP could warm up. "How long have you been out?" She asked only once they were settled in.

"A couple days. I wanted to clean up the trailer after Keller trashed it." He sighed and held his hands up to the air vent gratefully. 

"Have you..." She trailed off, not able to find the words to ask her question.

"I haven't. Haven't gotten a card in months. He's completely off the grid, Betty." FP shook his head and reached over to rest a hand on the younger's shoulder comfortingly.

She gave him a small smile. She wouldn't admit that she still texted Jughead, even if her ex-boyfriend refused to answer or read any of them. She didn't know why she did it, and she didn't want to figure it out. After a quiet moment, her smile turned into a frown as something dawned on her. "Did you come to Pop's just to see me- because if so, that's a little weird that you knew I'd be here this early -or do you want me to run in and get you some food?"

 "I just came to see Pop, maybe ask for a job. It can wait though. I want to know how you're doing." FP shook his head slightly and Betty let out a small laugh, that sounded more strained than she intended it to. "That's a long story, Mr. Jones. I'm not sure I'm ready to go into that." She stared at the steering wheel, refusing to meet FP's eyes. 

"Well, in that case, I think I'll go ask for that job. You hang in there, Betty. I'll see you around." FP reached over and patted Betty's shoulder before he got out and she looked up once FP closed the passenger side door and she watched the older man jog over to the front doors of the diner. He paused at the door, as if considering something before he shook his head and disappeared inside. Betty let out a long sigh and leaned her head forward onto the steering wheel, her eyes closing as she tried to catch her breath. Everything was suddenly different and she didn't know what to do with herself.

 

 

 

X

 

 

 

Five texts this time. 

She texted five times.

He didn't have her number saved but he knew it was her. He refused to read them, swiping them away before he got the chance to see any keywords. Four years later and she was still texting him. He didn't know if she saw it as some sort of security, ranting to someone who never answers anyways, but after four years of millions of texts, it was starting to get old. 

He read them at first. It was desperate stuff, begging him to come back so they could "work things out", then sweet things like,  _"Hope you're doing well x"_ And they were few and far between, but when graduation rolled around they became constant again. That's when he gave up on trying to keep up with it all. Nor did he really care. He had moved on. Had multiple girlfriends, multiple one-night stands, and he was positive that he had finally washed himself of her grasp. Yet, he never blocked the number. He let her have that comfort at least.

"Jughead, turn your damn phone off." His current... well, whatever she was, they had a quick lay here and there, but not often- Toni Topaz, rolled away from his side and slammed a pillow over her face. Toni had come from Riverdale as well, and they met a few months ago over a drink at a bar. They connected over similar backgrounds and reasons for running, and eventually hit it off. She knew all about the girl he'd left behind in the town with pep and the friends who'd betrayed him and the father who proved to be guilty. He found confiding in her to be an easy feat. 

"I need it on for work, Toni." He grumbled back and picked up his phone, swiping away the notifications. They just kept coming though, one right after the other. 

_Unknown: Please come back._ Swipe.

_Unknown: I know you hate me and everyone here but it's important._ Swipe.

_Unknown: Text me back when you're done being a hardass. You'll want to know this._ Swipe.

He finally turned his phone on silent and set it back down on the nightstand. He laid still for a few minutes, trying to decide whether or not to go back to sleep, but when he was sure he wasn't going to, he moved into a sitting position.

"Where ya going, big guy?" Toni mumbled, rolling onto her side and she reached up, patting his bare back lightly. Jughead looked back at her and smirked a bit. "I'm hungry, you horny rabbit. Go back to sleep for god's sake." He pushed her away lightly and they both shared a laugh as Jughead grabbed his shirt off the floor and pulled it on over his head. He stood up and glanced at his phone, making a last minute decision to take it with him. Maybe he'd check these texts at least. She did say it was "important". He scoffed to himself at that as he ran his hands through his hair and headed out of the bedroom of his small apartment and made a bee-line towards the kitchen.

He yawned as he opened the fridge and leaned over to look inside, scowling when he realized that the only food he had right now was leftover Chinese takeout. He grabbed the carton and opened it, only scowling more at the small amount left in it. "I swear to god, if she ate all of my leftovers I'm going to kill her." He muttered to himself and walked over to the drawer beside the sink, grabbing a fork and he closed the drawer with his hip; leaning against the counter after doing so. He took a bite of noodles and then grabbed his phone, tapping on the most recent text from Betty. He scrolled up to the top of this text chain, reading through each one. The more he read, the more his emotions mixed.

His phone started ringing a moment later from another unknown number, but it wasn't Betty's. He hesitantly answered it and held the phone to his ear. He was starting to get annoyed with all of this.

_"Jughead! Thank god. It's Archie. I'm sure Betty's texted you about five million times. Your father's only been released for a few days and I figured you should know that. You should come back-"_

"No way, Archie.  I am not coming back after four years. I've finally gotten away, no way am I falling back into that rat trap."

_"You should see your dad, Jug. If you change your mind, Veronica and I are throwing a Christmas Party at my dad's place. Your cho-"_

Jughead hung up on him and he slammed his phone down on the counter along with the carton of noodles. An angry groan ripped out of him as he grasped at his hair and he leaned his head back. He tried to wrap his head around all of this, but couldn't bring himself to. This was too much. He wasn't going to go back to Riverdale just because his dad was released. For all he knew, the serpents had broken him out of his prison cell and he was on the next bus to Canada.

"Trouble in paradise?" Toni's voice sounded from the hallway and Jughead looked at her slowly, dragging his hands down his face and to his neck. He stared at her for a few moments before he grabbed the carton of noodles and tossed it at her, not caring that sauce smudged all over one of his t-shirts. "Stop eating my food." He huffed and shoved past her and into the bathroom.

He could hear Toni muttering to herself as he slammed the door and leaned against the sink. Riverdale never treated him well anyways, so why should he go back? He shouldn't even be considering it.

But he was anyways.

He was considering  _Betty._

The perfect girl next door who's blonde hair shone in the sunlight and glowed in the moonlight, who's smarts battled everyone else's around her- and won. Who's wit was stronger than anyone he'd ever met. Who's big, round, emerald eyes shone like a thousand stars and who's smile was like a contagious disease.

"Fuck!" He slammed his hand against the sink and threw open the door, storming into the bedroom. Toni followed him in and he threw a backpack at her, pointing at it afterwards. "Pack a bag. We're going to Riverdale." He basically commanded her, turning back to the closet to pack his own bag.

"Excuse me? Going  _back_ _?_ No, I don't think so. I thought we were trying to get  _away_ from that hellhole, Jughead." Toni dropped the bag on the bed.

Jughead shook his head, speaking into the bag. "No, that was what you were doing. I was just... taking a break." He muttered and set the bag down for a moment. He exhaled a deep sigh and his head hung low.

"Why are you going back?" Toni's voice softened and she walked over to Jughead, kneeling down next to him.

Jughead looked to Toni slowly, considering whether or not to tell her the full truth or only the half truth. He bit his lip and shuffled around to face her better. "My dad was released from prison." He told her quietly and grabbed the bag that was overflowing with clothes. "I figured I would go see him and you could meet your serpent king." He shrugged and set the bag down again, meeting Toni's eyes. She didn't look totally convinced but shrugged anyways and grabbed a handful of clothes from the closet and stood up, walking over to the bag on the bed. Jughead exhaled slowly, finding his entire body relaxing.

 

 

 

X

 

 

 

Christmas music played quietly from the TV as she struggled to hang the last ornament at the top of the Andrews' Christmas tree. The tree was short, but Betty was much shorter, and trying to reach the top was impossible. She gave up and just picked a different spot near the middle of the tree so the twins couldn't knock it down and shatter it. She took a few steps back to admire her hard work and after giving it a thorough inspection, she nodded firmly. The little bell inside the ball at the tip of her blue and gold Santa hat jingled and she laughed when Vegas came barreling out of the kitchen and almost knocked Betty on her back in an attempt to reach the bell. She knelt to his level and shook her head lightly so the bell jingled again and Vegas barked loudly at her.

"Sh! Vegas, keep it down." She squeaked but only giggled more when the dog started licking her face. Archie had to rescue her.

"He doesn't know when to quit." Archie huffed out and helped Betty to her feet, who smiled thankfully at him. Her best friend turned to towards the tree, his face lighting up as soon as he did. "Betty Cooper, I didn't think this was possible, but you've outdone yourself." He congratulated Betty, who blushed in embarrassment at the comment. "Oh please, Arch. It's just the same ornaments as last year." She scoffed and crossed her arms.

"You're just being modest, B." Veronica spoke up as she entered the living from the kitchen, admiring the tree along with her husband.

Betty rolled her eyes at her two best friends. "No, I'm really not- oh! That must be Polly and the twins." Betty perked up when the doorbell rang and she skipped over to the door. She opened it and immediately two small children ran past her legs, followed by a string of screams and giggles and excited barking from Vegas. "I'm so glad you could make it, Polls." Betty greeted her sister with a big hug, and they struggled to get the door closed while still latched to each other.

"I wouldn't miss this for the world. I figured you missed your niece and nephew." Polly's voice practically dripped with fondness as she pulled back, her signature Cooper smile matching Betty's. "Who all's coming tonight?" She asked as the sister's pulled away from each other.

"I think Cheryl and Kevin are coming as well. It's just us tonight, and the adults will be joining up for presents in the morning." Betty explained as she led Polly to the kitchen where Archie and Veronica were working on making cookies now. 

"Sounds like the perfect Christmas." Polly giggled and patted Betty's shoulder before she went to find her kids.

Betty smiled at her and then turned to Archie and Veronica. "Please tell me you aren't secretly throwing a big party." She kept her voice low, giving her friends very serious looks.

Both Veronica and Archie shook their heads and it was Veronica who responded verbally. "I wouldn't dare, B. I know you're not ready for big stuff like that." Her and Archie shared a quick look though, like they knew something she didn't.

 Betty narrowed her eyes at the two, leaning forward slowly. "What are you hiding from me?" She huffed, crossing her arms in an annoyed gesture. If her friends tried to pull something on her, she would go home and bury herself under three layers of blankets and never come out.

"Nothing, Betty. Promise." Archie jumped to answer way too quickly and Betty definitely wasn't convinced but she wasn't in the mood to argue either. It was Christmas eve, she just wanted to have a good time. 

"Fine. Just know I'll never forgive you if you did try something." She waved her finger between the two of them and marched out of the kitchen, joining Polly in the living room with Juniper and Dagwood.

"Bebe!" Juniper squealed out the nickname she had for Betty, since she couldn't quite pronounce her name yet. Her niece jumped up from whatever she was drawing and ran into Betty's arms, who picked her up in a sweeping motion. She hugged the little girl tightly, giggling along with her. 

"I missed you, ya little munchkin!" She said through her giggles, spinning around twice. That only pulled more giggles from her niece. She plopped down in the chair next to the couch and Juniper pulled out of the hug, reaching out to poke the tip of Betty's nose before immediately snuggling back up in her arms.

"misseded you more, bebe." Juniper mumbled against Betty's neck, who smiled softly at the little girl. She opened her mouth to reply when someone else knocked on the door, and she guessed it was Cheryl or Kevin so she let Archie answer it this time. She watched her friend though, and became confused when he looked genuinely shocked. Betty heard a voice ask quietly if they could come in.

"Oh- right. Yeah, sorry. Come on in." He nodded quickly and stepped out of the way. 

Betty's heart caught in her throat when she saw who it was. Polly stood up and immediately took Juniper away from Betty when she saw the newcomer, afraid things would get messy with these two back in the same room. Betty stood slowly, and tried to step forward, but found herself rooted to the spot. Her mouth had run dry and she opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. He had changed so much since she last saw him. His face seemed harder, sharper. All cheekbones and angles now. His beanie was gone and his dark hair fell over his face like a wave. He wore dark clothing, a leather jacket, black jeans and combat boots. He somehow was and wasn't the same Jughead Jones she knew. She wanted to move towards him or say something, but instead, she forced herself to move in the other direction and she ran towards the kitchen and out onto the back porch.

"Welcome to the Big Andrews Christmas Bash." Archie sighed, closing the door behind Jughead and Toni. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

> X
> 
>  
> 
> _If we never learn, we've been here before_
> 
> _why are we always stuck and running from_
> 
> _The bullets?_

 

 

 

 


	2. This is where we end.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which a broken bughead remend their open wounds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeahahahahhha

 

_I had a thought, dear_

_however scary_

_About that night_

_The bugs and the dirt_

_Why were you digging?_

_What did you bury?_

_Before those hands pulled me_

_from the earth?_

 

 

X

 

Veronica was the one to chase after Betty and console her. 

Betty sat in a chair on the back porch, her head in her hands. She wasn't angry or hurt or sad. She was just shocked and more nervous than she'd ever been- and maybe a little annoyed that Veronica and Archie lied to her about this, but she got past it fairly quickly.

"You okay, B?" Veronica asked warily and she approached Betty with caution. She wasn't sure if Betty was going to yell at her or not.

Betty looked back at her friend, and then the tears started. So maybe she was a little hurt, that four years of running, and three years of no longer reading her texts, Jughead shows up out of nowhere with a girl on his arm and everything that made him  _Jughead_ wasjust... gone. She let out a forced laugh and stood, throwing her arms up in exasperation. "No, I'm not. I thought that, if Jughead had ever come back, I'd be happy and I'd forgive him immediately. But I realize now that I'd been harboring four years of anger towards him and I didn't even know it. I can't decide if I want to hug him or slap him." She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. She frowned and met Veronica's eyes. "And now he's got what seems to be a girlfriend, he's wearing leather- which, is terrifying. I had hoped I'd never see that. And he's not even my Jughead anymore. The beanie and the jackets and the tired but happy look in his eyes." She was gushing at this point, a million thoughts reeling through her head.

"Okay, well, maybe you should actually talk to him. Find out where he's been, find out who the girl is and if they're actually together. Maybe you two can start making amends." Veronica shrugged a little and came to a stop in front of Betty. She took the blonde's hands in her own and smiled softly at her best friend.

Betty hesitated, but nodded a little and she pulled Veronica into a hug. "Thank you, V. You're the best." 

 

"So, who's this?"Archie asked after Betty had bolted. His question broke Jughead out of his stupor and he gestured towards Toni. "This is Toni Topaz. She's actually from Riverdale herself. We met in Tennessee." he explained, resting a hand on the shoulder of the girl next to him.

Before Archie could respond, Dagwood gasped loudly from his spot on the floor and he stood up and pointed at Toni's hair. "Pretty!!" He squeaked out and Toni looked at him surprise but she reached up to hold her hair out a little. "Why, thank you. What's your name?" She asked as she walked away from from Jug and knelt in front of the little boy.

"Da'wood." He mumbled out a little, his cheeks rosy red as he looked at the floor in front of him.

Jughead let out a small chuckle, shaking his head slightly at Toni and Polly's twins. He was caught off guard when Archie pulled him out into the hallway, and he knew he was about to have a talk he was dreading now.

"I just wanted you to know, Jug, we didn't do what we did to hurt you or your dad. We just had to be sure." Archie told his friend in a low voice so as not to alert the others in the next room over. He gauged Jug's reaction, preparing himself for an argument at this point.

But Jughead just let out a soft sigh and he rested a hand on Archie's shoulder reassuringly. "Dude, it's fine. I think I got over it a long time ago, I just was enjoying the freedom so much that I got caught up in it. And I was meeting a lot of new people and learning a lot of new things that coming back here just seemed so insignificant. And besides, I didn't think that would be fair to Betty." He sighed and shook his head slightly. Without letting Archie answer, he turned on the ball of his foot and returned to the living room, smirking immediately at Toni who was playing happily with the twins. He plopped down in the armchair next to the couch and slumped down in it, his hands resting lazily on the arms as he stared at the tree. A small smile graced his features, because he just  _knew_ that was Betty's handiwork.

Everyone had fallen in a comfortable silence, except for the kids playing with the toys and the Christmas music playing in the background.

But when Betty and Veronica returned, an almost suffocating silence fell over the room. As if everyone was holding their breath.

Archie expected yelling, maybe from Veronica, but more likely from Betty. Polly was expecting another breakdown, Toni just seemed confused and Jughead looked like he couldn't breathe.

Betty ignored the girl for now. She only wanted to cross- or burn -that bridge when she came to it, not before. So she turned to Jughead, the boy who'd left four years ago. The boy who was all leather and skinny jeans now and his beanie missing. Who wasn't the same skinny loner from the wrong side of the tracks. The boy who, despite everything, right in this moment, still looked like  _ _her__ Jughead. The way he gripped the arm of the chair he sat in so tightly his knuckles were white, who's cheeks were rosy red every time he looked at Betty. His eyes still had the same raging waves in their depths and his lips were parted ever so slightly. His hair was still messy, just like it always was, and Betty's fingers itched to run through it like she used to. She wanted to throw herself at him, kiss his face all over and tell him how relieved she was to see him. She wanted to hold him and apologize for everything; for lying to him, for not trying harder. She wanted him to hold her and tell her everything would be alright, to kiss her scars and promise he would never leave again. But instead, she just exhaled a long sigh as she tried to figure out what to even say to him.

And to Jughead, it was like he was seeing her for the first time all over again. Her hair had grown longer, and instead of brushing her shoulders, fell past them like a golden waterfall. Her bright green eyes somehow seemed brighter, and not because the light from the Christmas tree was bouncing off her soft skin, but beacause she was trying _so hard_ to keep it together, so she was just, smiling. A smile that, no matter how fake, shone in her eyes as well.

She'd really grown into her face, and her curved and she looked so much more grown up now. But she was still...  _Betty._ You could see the war going on in her head, and the familiar divets in her palms. She still had the same bright and cheery disposition that somehow made up for the fact that the entire world was weighing down on her shoulders and she was like Atlas, holding it up with all her might, for all eternity. He felt selfish, suddenly. For having left her because of his own problems. He wouldn't blame her if she never forgave him for it.

"Welcome, Jughead. I'm... so glad you could make it. There's snacks in the kitchen and cookies in the oven. Make yourself at home." Betty finally addressed the boy in leather, her voice somehow stressed and eerily calm at the same time. She put her santa hat back on and gave everyone else a small nod before she moved into the kitchen, Veronica in tow.

"She didn't say hello to me." Toni's comment was intended to be teasing in hopes of lightening the mood.

Jughead didn't answer Toni as he stood and quickly followed Betty and Veronica into the kitchen. He didn't say a word to either of the girls, ignoring the fact that they were having a conversation when he grabbed Betty's arm and dragged her out into the hall and up the stairs so he could talk to her alone.

"Jug- Jughead, what the hell?!" Betty squeaked as she pulled herself out the taller boy's grasp. She gave him a grumpy pout, holding her wrist to her chest in a protective manner.

"Sorry- I just didn't think I'd get the courage later to talk to you, so I had to be quick." He frowned as he stared at her wrist and realized he'd hurt her. He wanted to cry at the realization. "I shouldn't have been so selfish. I left just because my dad was arrested. I should've stayed to see that through and I left you alone to deal with family drama-"

"Drama doesn't even begin to explain it." Betty scoffed. She shook her head and gave Jughead a hard look. The raven-haired boy quirked an eyebrow at her in questioning, urging her to explain.

"My dad..." She trailed off for a moment. Jughead had expected her to declare that he died or something, but what she said was so much worse. "My dad...  _killed_ people." She barely got that out, her voice only a whisper. She choked back tears and took a deep breath to steady herself. Her face hardened after she did. She looked angry now. Her eyebrows drew together in a frown and her lips pursed as she met Jug's eyes. "You were selfish for leaving. Your father was arrested for a murder he didn't commit, and you didn't have the balls to stick around and get the full story. My dad shot Mr. Andrews, who thankfullt survived. He strangled Ms. Grundy with a cello bow, he shot Moose- who is alive and well. And he killed Midge Klump. He also got the school janitor killed, which is a story for another time. Apparently, there's this... _"Darkness"_ that'sbeen passed down in my family. My great grandfather had it. My grandfather had it, and my dad, and now me. I'm scared of mys-myself, Jug." Her anger dissipated as quickly as it appeared, and she choked on a sob. Jughead guessed this was first time she'd really faced the full truth.

He didn't think much as he drew her in for a hug. He shivered when her hands fisted the fabric of his shirt and her tears stained it. But he held through her sobs like he did when they were two teenagers in love. He rubbed her back, shushing her and reassuring her everything would be okay. He reached up and pulled the hat off her head slowly, dropping it to the floor and he rested his hand gently, ever so gently, against the back of her neck and pressed a fluttering kiss to her forehead, to which Betty responding with a sharp inhale. She pulled back enough to look at him, emerald eyes shimmering with tears. 

So close.

He laughed internally.

There was no way he was over Betty Cooper. What a foolish thing to think, that anyone could get over those pouty lips and those rosy cheeks and her bright eyes. No way could anyone get over her golden hair and gentle voice. It was impossible. 

He leaned down and her eyelids fluttered in anticipation. So close. He was so-

"Jughead! Betty! Dinner's ready!" Veronica's voice called from downstairs and the pair jumped at least a foot away from each other. Betty met Jug's eyes for a only a moment before she was wiping away her tears and hurrying down the steps. Jug let out a string of muttered curses as he followed her, staying at least 5 feet away from her now. He decided to let Veronica bring him his food.

 

 

X

 

 

Dinner was silent. And awkward. Very awkward. Betty and Jughead sat on opposite ends of the dining table. Veronica and Archie between the two, Polly was focused on the twins, and Toni kept her eyes on her plate the entire time.

Everyone could feel the electricity crackling between Betty and Jughead. Neither one looked at the other, and despite his roaring stomach, Jughead had barely eaten a full bite.

"So! Just a heads up, I'm also throwing a new year's party. You're all invited, as is most of our old friends. Figured it was time for a reunion." Veronica finally broke the silence, her cheery attitude somehow settling some of the tension.

Jughead looked at her with a small smile that he hoped was convincing enough. "As much as I'd hate to miss a Veronica Lodge special, I've got a photography thing on New Year's weekend." 

He was lying through his teeth. Toni knew it too and she opened her mouth to counteract his lie but he stepped on her toes to silence her. She let out an angry grumble and continued sawing away at her steak.

"Photography? How interesting. Y'know, the Register's been looking for a photographer." Veronica gave Jug a knowing look, which was matched by Betty choking on her bite. The blonde gave Veronica an angry look and Jughead let out a sigh.

"Right- Hey, look guys, this was fun, but I'm not really hungry. I think I'll just stop by in the morning to say goodbye and then I'll be out of your hair." Jughead stood and dropped his silverware on the table and met Betty's eyes as he addressed the others, but he knew that Betty knew he was talking directly to her. "I know when I'm not wanted." 

He walked out of the dining room and to the front door, where he grabbed his bag and as his hand grabbed the doorknob, he heard Betty call his name. He let out a frustrated huff and turned to look at her, fully intending to snap at her, but was taken aback by the big, wrapped box she was holding out to him.

"I've been holding onto this for some time. I couldn't bring myself to return it. I hope you find a good use for it- and, before you ask, I bring it out every Christmas. The tree just doesn't look complete without it. Makes me feel like... I don't know, like we hadn't completely forgotten you." She gave him her Betty Cooper smile, and Jughead hesitated. Admittedly, he'd been carrying around a gift for her too, and four years later, fate decided he could finally give it to her. He pulled it out of his bag and held it out to her and she set his present down to take hers. He smiled and before he let go of the present, he leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek. Hopefully that would be enough.

Without another word, he let go of the present he handed her and picked up the one for himself, propping it up on his hip so he could open the door and he stepped out into the cold night. 

For the first time in a long time, he felt genuinely happy.

 

 

X

 

 

New Years. 

The one time of year that Betty dreaded. 

Too much champagne, too many drunk people stumbling around- and too many people in general.

This year though, she had a distraction.

She brought the book Jughead gave her. She had an excuse to sit on the balcony of the Lodges' apartment and just be alone, so she could read the book for the third time that month.

She already knew this book like the back of her hand. But it was from a boy that she knew, and a boy that she knows. A boy who, despite the leather, and depsite the permanent frown, was really just a big softie under it all.

With the loud music and many voices muffled by the glass doors that led to the balcony, Betty finally relaxed. She had a glass of wine, and even though she wasn't quite of age yet, Veronica promised her, jokingly, that her secret was safe. It had made Betty giggle and Archie roll his eyes.

Betty didn't open the book just yet. She wanted to enjoy the peace for a moment. 

She wanted to enjoy the first breather she'd gotten in what felt like forever. 

She'd gotten her closure.

She let out a long sigh and leaned her head back to rest against the back of the chair she'd settled herself in- only to jerk it back up again at a voice.

How she hadn't heard the door open was beyond her. But she swung around to meet the dark, blue eyes of Jughead Jones.

"Hey there, Juliet." 

His voice was soft, and filled with a fondness saved only for Betty.

She stood and gave him a small smile. "I thought you weren't coming, Romeo." She responded in a teasing tone. 

Jughead shrugged and took a step towards her. "I wanted to see you, one last time." He said in a dramatic tone, like he just stepped out of a cliché rom-com. Betty giggled and held her hands behind her back, to which Jughead smiled and changed his answer. "I changed my mind. I had some help though." He looked through the glass window at a laughing Toni, who's arm was drapped over the shoulders of none other than Betty's own cousin, Cheryl Blossom. She didn't question it, though her eyebrows did rise in surprise.

"And I did want to see you. I didn't think it was fair to leave on that note." Jughead started and he continued to approach Betty. His eyes refused to meet hers, and she knew he was about to say something risky. "I... once knew a girl, she had the prettiest eyes. Her voice was like honey, and it always seemed to ground me. Her lips were soft and sweet, and they tasted like strawberries. She smelled like them too. When she smiled or laughed, the world seemed a little brighter." He paused and came to a stop in front of Betty. His hands slid down her arms gently and took her hands in his own, flipping them over and he rested his hands against the backs of hers so he could look at the scars on her palms. "She had her flaws though. She had a family that was... well, crazy. But the thing I loved most about her was that she was nothing like them. She was sweet and caring and kind. She was strong-willed and independent, and didn't take shit from anybody. She loved harder than anyone I'd ever met and if you were lucky enough to know her, than your entire life was immediately better. And I made the selfish decision to leave right before the hardest year of her life, all because of a mistake. I was an asshole, who didn't- who doesn't- deserve her. You wanna know her name?" He met Betty's eyes, his voice barely a whisper now. Betty could only nod, unable to speak through her tears.

"Her name was Betty Cooper, and she was the best thing to ever happen me." He hesitated and quickly pulled away, working up the courage to say his next words.

"And, I was wondering- if she'll have me- if you could let her know that I'm staying for good, and I want to make this up to her, starting with a date." 

There was silence for what seemed like forever. But Betty couldn't even bring herself to give him a teasing reply. She just tilted his chin up and grabbed his face gently, hopping on her toes so she could kiss him.

It was soft and loving, and spoke a million words for the couple. Jughead wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her closer and he smiled because she still tasted like strawberries. Her lips were still as soft as ever. She was still Betty.

 

X

 

 

  _I will not ask you_

_where you came from_

_I will not ask you,_

_neither should you_

_Honey just put your sweet lips on my lips  
      We should just kiss like real people do_


End file.
